WASHINGTON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Top U.S. diplomat for East Asia David Stilwell will kick off his first Asian tour by visiting four countries in the coming weeks, said the U.S. State Department on Tuesday.
Stilwell, an Air Force veteran who was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs last month, will visit Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand between July 10 and 21, said the department in a statement.
During his stay in Japan, Stilwell will meet senior Japanese foreign policy and security officials, discussing regional and global issues, according to the statement.
In the Philippines, Stilwell, along with Assistant Secretary of Defense Randall Schriver, will lead the U.S. delegation to the eighth U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, the statement added.
The U.S. Senate voted 94-3 in mid-June to greenlight Stilwell to assume the current post, which had been kept vacant for more than two years during the Trump administration.
